


Operation: Yuletide

by NerdGirlsSquared



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-05
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-02-28 06:56:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2722967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdGirlsSquared/pseuds/NerdGirlsSquared
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carmilla has some baggage about the holiday season and detests Christmas. Laura plans on fixing that. Shenanigans ensue involving the whole gang.</p><p>This is a silly little multi-chapter story filled with lots of puppy dog Laura, whipped Carmilla and the S.S. LaFerry sailing at full steam. Inspired by the holiday season.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Winter Waltz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla remembers Christmases past. Laura gets a bright idea.

The floor was shimmering with light from the stained glass windows. The winter sun was setting, casting a glow across the ballroom. The twirling dresses cast shadows and the jewelry of the lords and ladies twinkled against the dark hardwood flooring. It was almost like watching constellations dance across the evening sky.

Mircalla never thought of herself as much of a romantic, but the setting was picturesque. She fiddled with the hem of her dress sleeve, gazing out at the party. The silk felt smooth in her hands, it was calming, reassuring. She dreaded social functions like this. Here she could not drink champagne her friends, telling scandalous jokes while laughing far too loud to be proper. In all likelihood, she'd be stuck dancing and talking with some mustachioed boy only interested in himself and trying to avoid his oafish feet.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a mop of dark curls bound towards her. “‘Miri!”

Small, lithe arms constricted around her neck in a very un-ladylike fashion. “Oh Miri, I’m so happy to see you here! When Papa told me I must attend this state function, I was certain it would be a miserable affair. With you here, at least we can join together in our suffering.” 

“Now Annalise, you must not speak poorly of the gala. At least, not so loudly, while you are in attendance,” Mircalla hissed in the smaller girl’s ear. Despite her tone, Mircalla was relieved to see her friend. Perhaps the evening would not be so terrible.

Annalise pulled away, a small pout tugging at her lips. “Oh, you’re no fun.” She twisted around, pulling out the sides of her dress. “Do you like the new dress Mama had made for me? I do love the color.” 

Dark maroon silk contoured Annalise's chest and slipped over her petite hips, flaring out - a daring style that suited her rambunctious nature. Mircalla smiled, “Yes, you look fabulous dear. I’m sure all the young gentlemen will want to dance with you.”

Annalise’s pout grew more pronounced. “Hang them all, I have no interest in the men here.” The striking chords of waltz cascaded across the ballroom. “OH! A waltz! Miri, you must dance with me, these dances from Vienna are such fun.” 

Mircalla had no time to react before Annalise’s small, yet surprisingly strong, hand gripped her arm and dragged her towards the dance floor. The party goers had begun circling the room in their pairings and Annalise hauled them both to an open spot.

As the music began in earnest, the men bowed to their partners. Annalise looked up at Mircalla, “Herr Miri, shouldn’t you bow to the lady?”

“I don’t see a lady here, do you?”

Annalise playfully smacked her arm, “How insulting!”

Relenting, Mircalla curtseyed, since bowing in a dress begged disaster, and took Annalise’s hands in hers. Together, they began twirling with the others, the push and pull of the dance drawing their bodies together. 

Annalise’s body was warm, pulsing with energy as the waltz continued. Mircalla caught herself holding her breath whenever the girl spun closer. The yearning feeling tugging at the pit of her stomach was familiar. Her friend was so lovely, so full of boundless energy, it took all Mircalla had to keep up sometimes. Still, she couldn’t help but feel happy around Annalise. 

Everything about the moment just felt perfect. The ebb and flow of the dance, the closeness of their bodies, the way the fading light made the whole room sparkle. Mircalla loved this moment.

She spun Annalise away from her again when the music suddenly stopped. The room plunged into darkness with a piercing howl. High, shrill, agonized screams blasted from every corner of the room. Horrified, Mircalla’s eyes surveyed the room frantically. Around her, the dancing couples shrunk, shriveling into blackened corpses. They continued rotating across the floor, their mouths open, tongues lolling from side to side beneath vacant eyes.

Mircalla looked towards Annalise and saw the girl, staring back, eyes wide in terror. Annalise opened her mouth and a fountain of blood gushed out. The endless fountain pooled across the floor, creeping towards Mircalla’s feet. The walls themselves began to bleed, all the while the screaming continued. She shrank to the floor, “No, no no no. No. Please stop. Stop. Stop!” 

Pressing her hands to her head, Mircalla tried in vain to drown out the noise. She felt pressure on her chest, as though she was being buried. Annalise’s bleeding body moved toward her, suspended in the air. “STOP!” She threw her hand out to push the girl away and shut her eyes.

“Owww…” came a very meek reply. The screaming stopped. Carmilla opened her eyes and saw no ballroom, no blood and no Annalise. Instead, she saw the faint silhouette of Laura Hollis hovering over her, rubbing her left collarbone gently.

“Shit, sorry cupcake, I was having--”

“A nightmare. I assumed once you started screaming.” Laura paused. “Carm, they’ve only gotten worse in the last week. What’s going on?” She sat down on the edge of the bed, placing a warm hand over Carmilla’s clammy one.

The darkness cloaked her expression, but Carmilla could hear the worry in Laura’s voice. 

“Winter. It started snowing last week and well, winter is just a bad time for me.” 

“But the holidays! The presents, the parties, the cookies, what’s not to like about Christmas-time?” Laura asked earnestly.

Carmilla sighed. “My first death, my real human death, was around Christmas. Tonight’s dream started at the ball I went to with a friend not long before I died. It’s one of the few memories I have of my life before…” She trailed off, staring out. “The ritual sacrifices of the girls always happened around winter too.” Another pause. “I lost Elle shortly before Christmas, all those years ago. Then, Mother buried me in a coffin on a cold January night. I, I... I’m just not a good one for holiday cheer I suppose. Too many painful memories.” The last words came tumbling out, almost inaudible.

“Oh Carm,” Laura breathed. She lowered herself onto the bed, laying her body alongside the vampire’s own. Intertwining their hands, she let out a sigh. After a few quiet moments, she whispered, “I accept your challenge.”

“Cupcake?” Carmilla turned to look at Laura, the darkness between them only centimeters. 

“I’m going to replace your terrible memories with good ones. Great ones. Amazing ones. Consider Operation: Yuletide a-go-go as of right now.”

Carmilla smiled despite herself. “Oh God, what have I gotten myself into?”

Laura pecked her on the lips, “A relationship with a holiday-addict, that’s what. I am determined to make Christmas the best time of the year for you.” Laura’s arms circled around Carmilla’s waist and pulled her closer. “But for now, just sleep. I’ve got you.”

Carmilla nodded, the tension of her nightmare slowly seeping into the bed as she drifted off back to sleep.


	2. Breakfast Sweaters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perry is very thoughtful. Carmilla decides she shouldn't skip breakfast.

The smell of hot cocoa wafted across the room. Rubbing her eyes, Carmilla managed to prop herself up in bed. She had slept very deeply, the distinct drool spot on Laura’s (stolen) yellow pillow serving as proof.

“Goooooooood morning!” Laura sang, handing her girlfriend a warm mug of blood. She placed a kiss on top of Carmilla’s mussed hair and walked back to the counter to get her hot chocolate.

“Mmmrph.” Carmilla held the drink between her hands. “Why must you be so pleasant in the mornings?”

“One, because you secretly love it. Two, because today is the first official day of Operation: Yuletide!” 

Carmilla’s eyes shot open and a sense of dread settled on her shoulders. Slowly, she looked up from her mug and took Laura in fully. The petite blonde was wearing what could have been, the ugliest sweater Carmilla had ever seen. It was red, with a white pine tree pattern running across the whole thing. A sleigh of reindeer flew across the torso sweeping up in a diagonal arc. A slightly too big, red, Santa hat was jammed on Laura’s head, resting just above her eyes. 

“Out of which hellmouth did that sweater emerge?” 

Laura laughed, “It’s a Christmas sweater Perry made me. It’s supposed to be ugly, that’s the fun!” She walked over the closet and pulled something out. “She made one for you too.” 

The dread dropped to Carmilla’s stomach, “Oh Cupcake, you’re not going to make me wear--”

“Don’t worry, yours isn’t ugly. Perry knows you better than that.” Laura handed her a folded sweater. Grabbing the material, Carmilla lifted it off her lap to get a good look. The sweater was solid emerald green, richly colored and very soft looking. In the left corner was a small black cat, hand stitched with evident care. 

Carmilla felt the smallest of tear pinpricks behind her eyes. Perry, for all her anxiety and nervousness, was a sweetheart. “How on earth did she have time to make this? Operation: Yuletide only started last night.”

“She’s made one for everyone on the floor, you know how seriously she takes being a Floor Don. It just, conveniently, happened to be done in time for the first day of the Operation. C’mon, put it on!” Laura made a lunge for the sweater, obviously with the mind to dress the vampire herself if necessary. 

“I can do it myself, thank you. I’m not a child.” Carmilla dodged her girlfriend with ease. She got off the bed and walked towards the closet, grabbing the corners of her t-shirt and lifting it above her head. She could hear Laura’s breath hitch as the shirt came over her shoulders. She grinned inwardly. _Sucker._

She turned around to face Laura full on, wearing nothing but her bra and boy shorts. She could hear the blonde's heart start beating faster - poor Laura, dating a vampire with super hearing meant she couldn't hide a thing. Carmilla quirked an eyebrow, “Maybe I don’t want to put it on just yet, cutie. Is that okay with you?” 

Silently, Laura nodded, her gaze never leaving her topless girlfriend. Carmilla took a step, “I think I know what I want to eat for breakfast.”

Recognition flashed across Laura’s face and a blush crept up her cheeks. “Well, they do say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

Carmilla crossed the short distance and grabbed Laura’s face with her hands. “Damn straight,” she said before capturing Laura’s lips with her own.


	3. Do You Wanna Build a Snow-Person?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LaFontaine and Laura build a family of snow people. Carmilla and Danny end up taking on the Zeta house in an all out snow war.

The blustery wind caught Carmilla full in the face when she and Laura stepped outside of their building. The air ripped across the snow blanketed campus, kicking powder into both of their faces. 

"Cupcake, can't we stay indoors? I much prefer naked cuddles to this mess. Heck, I'd even take clothed cuddles." Carmilla griped. Laura's gloved hand clasped hers and she began pulling them towards the open quad. 

"Oh come on Carm, LaFontaine wanted us to help them build a snow-person, it'll be fun!" 

Resigned, Carmilla let her girlfriend lead her across the campus until they found LaFontaine, who was struggling to roll a large ball of snow. Laura let go of Carmilla's hand and bounded towards their friend. "LaF! You look like you need help!" 

LaFontaine looked up and smiled as the tiny blonde crossed the snow-covered lawn. "Heya Hollis - glad you got my text. Yeah, this snow is surprisingly heavy." 

Laura grinned as she came up alongside them and placed her hands on the knee-high snow ball. "We'll just have to do it together. Can't have a misshapen snow-butt!" 

Carmilla hung back, watching the two work together to create several "snow butts" - as Laura had so delicately put it. The wind had died down a bit, but now flakes of snow were drifting down from the sky. The two friends were laughing as they worked, pushing mounds of snow into a loose semi-circle. After placing several bottoms, they began stacking smaller balls on top. The vampire watched Laura with feigned indifference. Joy practically radiated from the human woman's face, and it was (annoyingly) infectious. Carmilla's carefully crafted stoic nature waned as a smile tugged at her own lips.

"Too cool for snow people?" 

Danny came up beside her, two snow shovels slung across her shoulders. Carmilla responded, not taking her eyes off Laura. "Eh, I just felt like watching. Those two clearly have grand plans for their snow family, so I figure I'll let them go at it." 

Danny nodded, "Those two are kindred spirits of enthusiasm. If you're not joining them, do you mind lending me a hand? Summer Society is trying to clear some of the paths for the students to get from the dorms to the cafeteria and I have this whole section to myself. I could use the help." 

"How noble of the Amazons." Carmilla gave Danny a cursory glance. The two women shared an uneasy truce after the defeat of the Dean, mostly forged from a mutual affection for Laura and Danny's new found respect for Carmilla's sacrifice. Still, if the vampire was honest with herself, the tall redhead had grown on her a bit. She appreciated the Danny's fierceness, and she was more good humored than her serious nature implied. 

"Alright, I'll help. Lead the way Xena." 

"We'll start at the residence hall entrance and come back this way." Danny said, handing Carmilla a shovel and turning back towards the dorm. "It shouldn't take too long." 

About two hours later, Carmilla could feel an ache in her shoulder from the repetitive motions of shoveling and tossing. Realistically, if she just used her super strength and speed, this job would have been done a long time ago. However, they were working in public and Carmilla didn't want to step on Danny's toes. Being chivalrous was clearly second nature to the girl and it seemed cruel to show up her well meaning gesture with supernatural powers. Still, as the vampire rolled another crick out of her neck, the luster of "doing good" began to fade.

"Xena, please tell me we're almost finished here."

Danny, who was struggling with an overburdened shovel, tossed the load with a grunt. "Unf, almost. Only a few more feet." She stood up, pushing her hair out of her face when - _thwop_ \- an icy snowball exploded against the side of her head. 

Carmilla stared, eyes wide, as the snow slid off Danny's cheek and fell to the ground. Slowly, Danny turned, fire flashing in her eyes. About a good fifteen yards away, Kirsch and three other Zetas stood, leaning on shovels of their own. "Hey! Summer Society! Shoveling the campus is our job. We have to protect the hotties from falling on the ice. You're working on our turf." 

Danny started yelling something about how the Zetas were full of shit. Carmilla bent down, grabbed a fistful of snow and shaped it between her hands. As the shouting match continued, she took aim at Kirsch's face and let the snowball fly. 

_Thwack._ Kirsch's eyes widened with surprise, he hadn't seen Carmilla standing behind Danny. There was a brief pause and then the scene exploded with movement.

The Zetas dove off to the side, grabbing handfuls of snow as they moved. Danny took her shovel and started pushing the snow on the ground into a pile, ducking under the first flurry of Zeta artillery. Carmilla grabbed her own shovel and joined Danny, scrambling to create a protective barrier for them to hide behind. Dodging another round of snow balls, the women finished their lopsided battlement and took cover.

"He is so dead." Danny growled, grabbing snow and crushing it into a ball. Carmilla followed suit, and the two began to build a small pile of icy missiles. A volley came sailing over their heads, ricocheting off the top of the wall of snow. Grabbing a ball in each hand, the two exchanged a glance. 

"On three. One-two-THREE!" Danny yelled, and both she and Carmilla popped out to let their ammunition fly. Danny beamed a Zeta across the forehead and Carmilla caught another across the ear. Kirsch managed to deflect a snowball with the shovel in his left hand. As quickly as the women sprung up, they took cover again to avoid the retaliation fire. 

"More ammo, we're gonna need a lot more ammo." Danny said, forming snow balls as quickly as she could. Carmilla nodded, focused on packing the snow between her hands as tightly as possible. 

A collection of high pitched cries pierced the air, followed by a series of _thwap, thwap, thwaps_. Danny and Carmilla peeked over the top of the barrier to see what was happening. 

Six women from the Summer Society descended upon the Zetas, yelling and hurling snow with vicious speed. The boys looked panicked, noticing they were now outnumbered. Taking this opportunity, Danny and Carmilla let snowball after snowball fly from their own reserve. 

Splattered with snow, Kirsch turned to his brothers. "Zetas! Retreat!" Grabbing their shovels, the boys fled back towards the Zeta House, but the Summer Society members gave chase. Danny got up and followed her sisters, yelling a battle cry as she went.

Carmilla paused, unsure if she should follow. It had been fun, but she had her fill of the snow war. She got up and brushed off her pants before heading back towards Laura and LaFontaine. When she arrived, she realized how long she and Danny must have been gone. There were at least eight fully constructed snow people - decorated with twigs and random decorations that LaF must have brought with them.

"Carmilla! You're back - good. Come look!" Laura waved to her girlfriend. "Come here." Carmilla trudged over, coming up behind Laura and wrapping her arms around her waist. Resting her chin on Laura's shoulder, she looked at the two snow people in front of them. 

The one was slightly shorter than the other, with light brown button eyes and a Santa hat. The taller snow person had darker brown buttons and sported a red scarf. Their branch hands had been carefully placed so that they were touching. "It's us," Laura said, placing her hands over top her girlfriend's.

"You're sweet." Carmilla placed a kiss on Laura's cheek. Glancing over towards LaFontaine, she saw the redhead patting down what looked like a tail on another snow... person? "What are you making there brainiac?" 

LaFontaine looked up, "It's Wadjet. She's this awesome half woman, half snake Egyptian goddess." 

"Ohhh-kay then. Whatever floats your boat." Carmilla felt Laura give a shiver in her arms. "Time to go inside Cupcake? I don't want you to catch your death out here. I can't use a magical sword against pneumonia."

"Okay, but first we need a picture with our snow-selves. We can't forget about Operation: Yuletide - this is your first personal snow person!" 

Carmilla chuckled as Laura dug out her cell phone. "LaF, can you take a picture for us?" 

"Sure thing," LaFontaine said, getting up from their work and taking the phone. Laura pulled Carmilla in front of the snow people and grabbed her hand, replicating the pose. 

"Say Yuletide! One, two, three -" 

"Yuletide!"


	4. Krampus and Cocoa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla tells a story and Perry makes delicious gingerbread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to give credit to author shan_love, whose story introduced me to Krampus- http://archiveofourown.org/works/2731658

The winter blizzard rattled the windows and walls of the dormitory. The students of Silas had been confined to their buildings for now, with classes postponed until the weather decided to subside.

Laura was taking ample opportunity of the free time, furiously binging on more episodes of _Buffy: The Vampire Slayer_ with LaFontaine. Laura had only watched two seasons when she initially started her vampiric research, but now they were well into the sixth season. The two friends sat on Laura's bed with a large bowl of popcorn, cheering and jeering at Laura's tiny laptop screen. Carmilla refused to watch any of the "irrevocably pornified vampires," so she sat across the room on her bed, nose buried in a Beauvoir book. 

The door swung open and Perry appeared, a platter of gingerbread cookies in her hands. When she saw LaFontaine and Laura were in the same spot from almost eight hours ago, her eyebrow twitched a little. 

"I can't believe you both haven't even gotten off that bed! It's been HOURS. You're going to rot your brains." Perry huffed. 

LaFontaine looked back at her apologetically. "Sorry, Perr- it's just, this show is so addicting. Right now, Xander and Anya are supposed to get married, but this total troll is tricking Xander into calling off the wedding by showing him a future where they are both miserable and urpf--" Perry wedged a cookie in LaFontaine's open mouth. She then placed an affectionate kiss on her sweetheart's forehead.

"Enough TV talk, please? Let's do something, together, all four of us. Carmilla, you're with me on this right?" Perry turned towards the lounging vampire. 

Carmilla looked up from her book, taking them all in slowly. Finally she sighed, "Anything to get them to shut up about that damn show. If I hear one more high pitched squeal about that stupid Spike character, I'm going to hurl." 

Perry spun back around triumphantly. Laura, who had watched the whole exchange in silence, chimed in, "I have a GREAT idea. Give me a second!" She jumped off the bed and walked over to her desk, rummaging around and pulling out a very full plastic bag from the local craft store. 

Carmilla and LaFontaine exchanged looks of horror. Carmilla could already feel the apprehension settle across her chest. The last time Laura had suggested a craft activity, LaFontaine ended up with a staple in their left thumb, Carmilla had to cut off two inches of hair due to a glue explosion and Danny was washing rogue flecks of glitter off her body for weeks. 

Laura looked at her friends, holding the bag of supplies aloft. "Let's decorate our own Christmas stockings - I got these last week when Operation: Yuletide started. We can't celebrate Christmas if we don't have a place for Santa to leave our gifts!" 

Carmilla snorted, "Santa? Aren't we a bit old for that Cupcake? He's just a distorted commercial holiday version of some old Christian saint."

Her girlfriend's eyes widened with dismay and started to glisten. Carmilla immediately regretted her words and she grasped for a way to apologize. Thankfully Perry swooped in, saying, "Oh Carmilla, don't be a Scrooge! That sounds like a great idea Laura. I'll even see if they'll let us tack them up over the student lounge fireplace at the end of the floor." 

Carmilla nodded, over-enthusiastically, "I'd love to make a stocking with you cutie, as long as mine can be black and red." She got up and wrapped her arms around Laura's waist, planting a kiss against the blonde's neck. "As long as I'm spending the time with you, I couldn't care less about who or what we're celebrating."

Laura sniffed and leaned against her girlfriend. "Okay, let's clear some space on the floor then."

Several hours later, the girls and LaFontaine were all laughing uproariously as Carmilla tried to shake a piece of felt off her hand. The floor was covered in newspapers (Perry's idea) now splattered with paint, glue and fabric scraps. Perry and Laura had finished their stockings a hour ago, both sticking to basic Christmas themes involving snowflakes and reindeer. LaFontaine was meticulously hand painting an absurd scene, involving a Tyrannosaurus Rex wearing a Santa hat, a robot and a sleigh driven by unicorns. Their arms were so covered with paint, Perry had to lift the mug of hot chocolate for them to sip when they got thirsty, so as not to stain Perry's nice mugs.

Carmilla kept her design secret, turning her back on the other three while she worked. Occasionally she would flail and cuss when another piece of fabric stuck to her. Whenever Laura tried to peek at her work, Carmilla shot her a withering glare and shuffled a little further away. 

"Come on Carmilla, let us see. It's just a stocking, why is it such a big secret?" Laura pleaded.

"Because cutie, the reveal is everything." She replied. Looking down at her work, Carmilla figured she was almost done. "Give me a few more minutes." 

"Fiiiine. Perry, let's go get more hot chocolate ready." Laura got up, casually leaning towards Carmilla to catch a glance over the brunette's head. 

Carmilla could feel Laura move above her and hastily covered her stocking. She turned and narrowed her eyes. "Very shifty Hollis. Very shifty indeed. Go make yourself useful instead of harassing me."

Laura stuck out her tongue and left the room with Perry. Carmilla and LaFontaine worked in silence, concentrating wholeheartedly on their designs. About fifteen minutes later, the girls returned, carrying another plate of cookies and a larger carafe of hot cocoa. 

Carmilla stood up, holding her stocking behind her back. "Now, all of you, sit down. I am ready to reveal my masterpiece." Everyone sat on the floor, careful to avoid the paint and looked up the vampire. After she felt she had their rapt attention, Carmilla began speaking. 

"During the 1600's in Austria, we celebrated the story of Saint Nicholas, certainly. However, he had a friend, a terribly devilish fiend who would accompany him to all of the houses. Krampus would sometimes give coal to the naughty boys and girls - but if you had been truly bad, there was a far worse fate. Krampus would snap you up and whisk you away to his evil lair, only to devour you whole!" With a flourish, she revealed her stocking, which was actually quite terrifying. The design featured a roughly painted demon, sporting horns, a ludicrously long nose and hairy eyebrows, carrying a large sack on his back. Carmilla had used the opening of the stocking as the opening of the sack and small felt children stuck out the hole haphazardly. 

Laura gasped in actual horror, clutching Perry's arm. "That's AWFUL Carm! Just awful." 

LaFontaine tried to suppress a giggle at Laura's reaction, encouraged by Perry's elbow digging into their ribs. Carmilla grinned and looked at her handiwork proudly. "I'm quite pleased with how it came out actually. It reminds me of home, weird as it sounds."

Laura give her an appraising look before saying, "Well... if you say so. That's the point I guess." 

LaFontaine smiled at Carmilla, "Pretty freakin' sweet if you ask me." 

Perry looked between LaFontaine and Carmilla, and let out a sigh. "Laura, sometimes I think you and I decided to date the weirdest people at Silas. Why can't we all just be _normal_ for once!" 

That comment left them all laughing for the rest of the evening.

Later that night, Carmilla climbed into bed after hanging her stocking up over their window sill. Perry decided that Carmilla and LaFontaine's stockings weren't really what the residence directors had in mind for hall Christmas decorations, so the creations stayed in Room 307. Taking a length of ribbon, Carmilla loosely tied her mane back and rested her head on Laura's yellow pillow, eyes closed.

She heard Laura emerge from the bathroom and cross over to her on the bed. Pulling the comforter up, the blonde slid under the covers, snuggling up to Carmilla.

"You are seriously weird. That Krampus story was the strangest thing I've ever heard." 

Carmilla wrapped her arms around Laura and replied, "Darling, Austria is a strange place. Europeans weren't as sugary sweet about life as Americans, especially not as you go towards Eastern Europe. Life was rough and the stories reflected it. Besides, Krampus was a legitimate way to scare children into behaving properly. As far as mythological creatures go."

"I guess. Still, it's odd." 

"What, have you been naughty? You don't want someone to steal you away?" Carmilla murmured into Laura's hair.

With a gleam in her eyes, Laura looked back up at Carmilla. "Depends on who does the stealing. And the devouring. I seem to remember there being devouring." 

"Oh trust me, I'd be most happy to oblige." Carmilla captured her girlfriend's lips with a firm kiss. "Very, very, very happy indeed."


	5. Get By With A Little Help (From Your Friends)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla gets help from Perry, LaFontaine truth bombs Danny and Laura gets dragged into decorating for the Zeta's Christmas Party.

Laura's phone vibrated against the desk, knocking loudly against the wood. Carmilla groaned, pulling the pillow over her head to drown out the noise and Laura sat up in bed. The clock next to her phone blinked 8:31 AM. Picking up the phone, she looked at the caller ID: _Brody Kirsch_. 

Flipping it open, she answered, "Hi Kirsch." 

"Hollis! The Zetas need your help. The Bro-Mas party is tonight, but... well the guy who was in charge of decorating totally screwed it up. The place looks terrible, and we gotta make sure we impress the hotties. You're good at this holiday stuff. Be a bro and help us out. Please?"

Laura sighed, "Of course Kirsch. I'll be there. Do you guys have supplies or are we starting from scratch?"

Kirsch took a moment to respond. "I think you're going need to get new stuff. When I say the bro kinda failed, I mean he spent all the money on beer and made us a Pabst-mas tree kinda failed. Totally cool but not really... Christmas hottie friendly."

"Gotcha. No worries, we'll figure it out. I'll see you soon Kirsch." Closing her phone, Laura got up off the bed and started rummaging through her drawers for fresh underwear. Carmilla rolled the pillow off her face, the morning haze making her body heavy and slow.

"Buttercup, must you be so loud? What did Kirsch want?" 

"I'm helping him get stuff ready for the party tonight. I don't know how long I'll be gone." Laura, now dressed, came back over to the bed. "Don't sleep the _whole_ day away Carm," she said, bending over and placing a kiss on the vampire's cheek. 

"No promises." Carmilla grumbled, burying her head again. 

A few hours after Laura left, the dorm room door opened with a resounding thud. Carmilla practically bellowed, "DOES NO ONE KNOW HOW TO KNOCK IN ALL OF SILAS!?"

"Carmilla, I'm sorry to be rude, but... I need your help." Perry wrung her hands nervously in the doorway. 

Carmilla paused for a moment. Perry was a good person, she took very good care of her friends, nervous ticks aside. Relenting to her conscience, Carmilla pulled her head out from beneath the pillow and sighed. "Alright, what do you need?"

"I need help buying a gift for LaFontaine. They need something... unique. Special. And probably weirder than I could ever think of. I thought you might be a good person to help. Considering where all you've been and what all you've seen in the world." Perry looked at her hopefully.

Carmilla paused for a moment. "Hmm, unique you say? I've got a place that might be able to help us out. Do you have access to a car?"

Perry nodded, "Yeah, I'm borrowing Danny's for the day. She and LaFontaine walked into town to do get some last minute stuff for the party tonight."

"Good, because this place is about an hour away, but I promise it'll be worth it. Let me get dressed and we can go."

"Oh! I didn't expect you to actually say yes! Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Perry rushed over and grabbed Carmilla in a tight hug.

"Yeah, yeah. What can I say, it'll be in the spirit of Operation: Yuletide and all. Laura's turning me soft." Carmilla replied, awkwardly patting Perry on the back.

*****

LaFontaine stared at a necklace in the boutique shop with a frown. "I don't have a clue what to get her Dan. I don't want to screw it up. I dunno, do you think she'd like this?"

The taller woman looked at the necklace. "Laf, knowing Perry, she'll be thrilled with whatever gift _you_ get her."

Turning away from the jewelry, LaFontaine threw their hands up in frustration. "It's not like that makes this any easier!"

Danny smiled down at her fellow redhead, "Honestly, have you thought of making her something? Perry's the kind of person where a handmade gift would mean a thousand times more than anything you could buy. Just a thought."

LaFontaine lit up with excitement. "Ohhhh, that gives me the perfect idea! Let's go to the craft store. Are you finished here?"

Danny looked around and sighed, "Yeah. I'm done. I don't even really know what I'm looking for."

"Oh, I assumed you were looking for a gift for Kirsch, right?" LaFontaine said, grabbing Danny's arm as they started towards the exit. 

"Why on earth would I get him a gift?" 

"Um, because it's pretty obvious you're liking 'em tall, sweet and a bit goofy these days Dan. And by obviously, I mean blinding like the sun on a winter day obvious."

"Huh," Danny mused, "I guess I just never thought of it. Like, I enjoy Kirsch but I never thought of us... dating." The two friends had made their way out of the shop and were walking down the sidewalk towards the craft store. 

LaFontaine looped their arm through Danny's and smiled. "Do you even like guys, in that way? I could never tell if you were a ladies only kinda gal or if you liked to double dip."

Danny chuckled, "I think the word you're looking for is bisexual. And yeah, I've dated some guys before and enjoyed it well enough. I just typically find I get along better with girls."

"Oh, I see. Less competition, yeah? Ladies will let you be the hero without a fight, _Xena_." LaFontaine used Carmilla's nickname for Danny with a pointed look. They paused before continuing, "You know, Kirsch thinks the world of you. He has a lot of bravado, but I think he really values your strength. The fact he made you an honorary bro, despite the dumb Zeta factor, means he really respects you. Even if you don't like him romantically, he considers you to be very important." 

Danny stopped on the sidewalk. "You know, for a bio major, you do a decent job playing psychologist. I'll think about it."

The shorter redhead grinned, "Yep! That's me. The truth bombing people-pleaser. Now, let's hurry up. I got to get this stuff and go make Perr's gift. She wants to exchange them after the party tonight. Maybe we'll find something for you to make Kirsch." They nudged Danny's arm and winked. "Let's go!"

*****

Laura was precariously balanced on Kirsch's shoulders, lacing some blue and white tinsel around the ceiling edge. They had been working for almost three hours, and Laura was tired. All around them, the massive basement of the Zeta house was decked out in a blue and white Christmas theme. Laura thought the blue would help keep it manly, which the Zetas actually appreciated. Laura had to give boys credit, they had been very grateful to Laura for her help, showering her with praise. They had even mentioned something about being made "Queen of the Hotties" at the party later.

"Laura, are you done? My shoulders are starting to hurt." Kirsch grunted through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, bring me down. Um, carefully please," she added.

Kirsch gently lowered himself down, letting Laura slide herself off his back. "Trust me, I wouldn't let you fall. Carmilla would kill me."

Laura cringed at the thought of a violently angry Carmilla throttling Kirsch. "Yeah... she probably would." 

"Not that I'd blame her. When you care about someone, of course you protect 'em." Kirsch straightened himself back up to his full height and looked around. "This place looks great. This year's Bro-Mas is going to be the best. The Zetas are officially in your debt Hollis." 

Laura looked around at her handiwork. She had to say, this was the cleanest and nicest she'd seen the Zeta house. Ever. "Who would have thought all the Zeta's needed was a woman's touch?" 

"Ha! Who'd have thought! You are a legit bro Hollis, a legit bro. As a thank you, I'm gonna pay yours and Carmilla's cover charge tonight. Ah heck, I'll just pay for the whole gang tonight - it's Bro-Mas after all. Still, thank you." Kirsch's arms wrapped around her in a big hug. "Now, I've got to go get some grub for tonight. I can give you a lift back to your dorm if you want."

"Thanks Kirsch, that'd be great. I'm kinda tired."

When Laura arrived back at Room 307, it was surprisingly empty. She had been looking forward to cuddling up with Carmilla for a few hours. Instead, she found a small note left on her yellow pillow. 

" _Laura,_  
_Perry has commandeered me for a secret mission. I know not the day nor hour that I shall return. Should the worst happen, you can have all of my books and yes, my leather pants. May they remind you of how totally badass I was and how great my ass looked._  
_Love,_  
_Carmilla_ "

"What a dork." Laura laughed. Tucking the note card into her pocket, she crawled under the covers of Carmilla's bed. Snuggling into the soft sheets, she drifted off for a quiet nap.

*****

Lola Perry was totally freaking out. Carmilla could sense her discomfort rippling in waves from across the shop. Rider's House of Oddities was located in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Carmilla had discovered it about two decades earlier, when she was looking for a place to sell some of her old things from her younger days as a vampire. It was a strange little place, run by a short bald man with glasses as large as his face.

The walls were lined with all sorts of obscure things, from cats perfectly preserved in formaldehyde to scrolls written in hieroglyphs. There was a fine layer of dust on just about every shelf. It didn't look like Mr. Rider had many customers these days.

Perry walked around stiffly, her eyes darting from bizarre item to bizarre item. 

"Carmilla, I can't get LaFontaine anything from here. This stuff isn't special or weird... it's _gross_." 

Carmilla scanned the room. "Maybe you just need to get a bit more creative. Look over here, this could be promising."

She walked over to a large glass counter. The sign above it read, "Medicine Across the Ages" and beneath the glass was a whole array of equipment. There were all sorts of pieces and parts, but something different caught Carmilla's eye. Towards the back of the case was a distressed looking metal box. It was propped opened to reveal a set of bottles and tools, ranging from a small bone saw to a vast array of scalpels and knives. Next to it, a card read, _WWI Surgeon's Kit, Germany, 1917_. It was pretty banged up, but there was history behind it and it looked pretty darn cool. Perfect for LaFontaine.

"Come over here, take a look at this." Carmilla said. Perry walked over, careful not to bump anything along the way. 

When she caught sight of the kit, she gasped, "Oh, that's perfect!" But then she frowned, "I imagine it's very expensive though."

Carmilla hadn't thought of that. "I'll go asked the owner. Wait here."

Weaving her way through the aisles, she made it to the front of the store. The little man, Mr. Rider, she assumed, was sitting at the counter and reading a book. 

"Uh, excuse me sir," Carmilla asked, "how much is that WWI Surgeon's Kit going for?"

Without looking up, the man replied, "140 euros."

Carmilla frowned. That was way too much for Perry to pay. But the gift was so perfect. Carmilla rolled her eyes when a new thought hit her. Laura _was_ making her soft. She reached into her wallet and pulled out several paper bills. She put the money on the table and said in a hushed tone, "Here's 120. Can you tell my curly headed friend that it's on sale for 20 euros and then sell it to her for that much?"

The man looked up from his book at the stack of cash. He adjusted his glasses, grabbed the wad and counted each bill. He nodded, "Sure thing." 

"Thanks." Carmilla put her wallet away and walked back towards Perry. "Good news Cassanova, your lover's perfect gift is only gonna cost you 20 euros. Sound like a good deal?" 

"That's so perfect! Wonderful, LaFontaine is going to really like this I think. Carmilla, who'd have thought you'd be such a fantastic gift finder?" 

"Ha, maybe this Operation: Yuletide business is wearing off on me. This was actually kind of fun. Now go buy the darn thing. We have to get back or Laura will have my head for skipping out on the Zeta's party."

Perry nodded, obviously eager to leave the very strange shop. Carmilla smiled to herself. That actually _did_ feel pretty good. Maybe Laura was right about Christmas after all.


	6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Bro-Mas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Zetas throw a party and most of the gang exchanges warm fuzzies and gifts.

Carmilla had never considered the fact that there was such a thing as Christmas techno, but after several ear bleeding hours at the Zeta's Bro-Mas party, she was well acquainted with the genre. The basement of the Zeta house was crammed with people, writhing around and getting totally smashed on spiked eggnog. The room was only illuminated with blue and white Christmas lights, so it was hard to see much. Carmilla felt bad for Laura, who had worked hard to orchestrate the relatively unseen decorations. It was the thought that counts, she supposed. 

Speaking of Laura, Carmilla watched the very cute, very tiny, very tipsy Laura Hollis get hoisted atop the shoulders of Kirsch and another Zeta named Tim. Marching through the throng, they chanted, "Bro-Mas Queen! Bro-Mas Queen!" 

Laura gave the crowd a regal looking wave and spoke in a faux British accent, "Thank you for being here today, thank you for being here today."

Carmilla just rolled her eyes. Dorks, the whole lot of them were dorks. Squinting hard, Carmilla caught sight of Perry and LaFontaine off in the corner making heart eyes at one another. She smiled, she still had residual warmth from helping Perry earlier that day. Everywhere, people were dancing - letting lose after the end of finals week. Most of the students were going home for the holidays the day after tomorrow. Carmilla felt a pang of sadness when she realized Laura would be leaving too. 

Someone tapped her shoulder, drawing her out of her thoughts. Danny held out a glass of "special" holiday punch. "You look far too broody at a holiday party. Lighten up a little, Queen of Darkness."

Carmilla grabbed the glass and took a swig. "Thanks Xena. Fancy seeing you here, considering this is hardly Summer Society approved."

"The girls don't know I'm here. Kirsch invited me, as an honorary bro." Danny shifted awkwardly, looking at her feet with sudden interest.

"Red, I don't know what's going on between you two and I don't really care to." Carmilla paused. "But, don't let other people's opinions pressure you into something. Sometimes it's just nice to see where things go, uh, naturally." God, she was bad at this advice shit. She drained the rest of her glass and handed it back to Danny. "Just a thought. Thanks for the drink."

Carmilla turned and headed over to where the "Queen of Bro-Mas" was now sitting on a couch. Her horde of Zetas had dispersed, but there were still a few students lounging around, discussing their holiday plans. Laura perked up when she saw Carmilla approaching.

"Carm! Carmy-carmy-carmy Carm!" Laura smiled wide and clapped her hands. "Come sit with me - this couch is so comfy." Looking at her glossy eyes, Carmilla could tell Laura was going to crash very soon. It was time for them to make their exit. 

"Cupcake, I need to head back to the room." She leaned in close and whispered, "I'd hate to go to bed alone." 

Laura nodded vigorously and grabbed Carmilla's hand. Together, they practically raced out of the Zeta House and off to their dorm.

*****

LaFontaine felt their hands sweating with apprehension. A tired and slightly buzzed Perry was leaning heavily on their shoulder, nuzzling into their neck. They were heading back to Perry's room to exchange gifts after the party. This had been the plan all along, but LaFontaine was having second thoughts. What if Perry thought their homemade gift was lame?

As they entered the dorm, Perry perked up a little, a glint in her eyes. "I am so excited to give you this gift. You're so terribly hard to shop for, but I think I found the most perfect thing. Well, Carmilla helped, a lot actually. You're going to love it. I hope." 

LaFontaine's nerves heightened. They were sure whatever Perry had bought, it _would_ be perfect. Oh why did they ever think something homemade was the way to go? Perry was going to hate it. 

When they got to Perry's room, the Floor Don turned to LaFontaine. "You get get your gift and get changed into your pjs. Come back and we'll have hot cocoa and exchange our gifts." She leaned in a placed a peck on their cheek. "Go!"

With a sense of new found dread, LaFontaine trudged to their room. Picking up the gift that now looked sloppily wrapped, this overwhelming sense of doom washed over them. Perry was going to hate it and she would be too polite to say anything. Dragging their feet, LaFontaine returned to Perry's room and knocked on the door. 

"Come in!"

Pushing the door open, they smiled at the homey decorations and set up. The room was lit with Christmas lights and next to Perry's bed sat a plate of cookies and two large mugs of cocoa. There was a large wrapped box sitting at the end of the bed. 

"Hey, uh, Perr? Can I give you my gift first?" LaFontaine sputtered awkwardly. Might as well get the humiliation done with sooner, rather than later. 

"Of course!" Perry sat down on the bed and patted the space beside her. LaFontaine sat down and reached into their messenger bag. They pulled out the present, wrapped in comics paper of course, and held it out. 

"Uh, Merry Christmas Perr." 

Perry took the gift and unwrapped it slowly, peeling off the paper meticulously. Finally, she lifted up a wooden small box, stained dark brown with a hand painted gold rose on the top. Perry opened the latch, the breath catching in her throat. Inside were fifty-or-so small pieces of paper, folded into all sort of shapes. Some of them looked familiar, with telltale stickers and crayon marks. 

"LaFontaine, is that... are these all from elementary school?" 

"Mostly, yeah. I, uh, kept every note you ever wrote me and I kept all of the ones I never actually gave to you." LaFontaine rubbed the back of their head nervously.

"The ones you never gave to me?"

"Yeah. There were a lot of times I wanted to, uh, tell you things when we were kids but I got scared. Some of them are dumb things like how I was afraid of Ms. Botts in 2nd grade but some of them are more, um, personal. I dunno, I'm sorry, it's kind of a dumb gift now that I think about it. I just didn't know what you get you and I-"

Perry kissed LaFontaine, grabbing the back of their neck with her other hand. She set the box down gently and moved her hands to cup LaFontaine's face. 

"You saved all of those? Really? LaFontaine, that's the sweetest gift anyone could have ever given me. You shouldn't have worried." She pulled them in for another kiss. " _You_ are the best gift. It's cheesy, I know, but I mean it." 

"You dork." LaFontaine felt a tremendous burden lift from their shoulders. "My turn!"

Grabbing at the large package, LaFontaine dug into the wrapping paper with vigor. They pulled the taped box apart and paused. Inside was a very distressed looking metal box with a white cross painted on it. 

"Wait, is this what I think it is?" LaFontaine flipped open the metal latch, exposing the countless old vials, bottles and cutting instruments. "Perry! This gift is absolutely hardcore! This looks like... early 1900's right?"

"Mhm, it's from World War I - German made." Perry nestled a little closer as LaFontaine inspected the contents further. "I'm glad you like it. Carmilla helped me find it. She's surprisingly good at gift giving."

LaFontaine laughed, "You know, for as much as she tries to be a cynic, she's totally a bleeding heart. I'll have to thank her. Later." They put everything back in the case and set the gift off to the side. "For right now, I think cocoa and cuddles are in order."

*****

It had gotten pretty late and the Zetas had cleared out of the basement. Kirsch, stumbling slightly, was doing his best to clean up after the party. Danny had stayed to help, but now she couldn't help but feel a little awkward as they shuffled around in silence.

Kirsch was the one to finally break the tension, "Thanks for helping clean up. You're a better bro than half of the actual bros." He straightened, pulling himself up to his full height. "I got you something for Christmas, bro to a bro. Is that cool?"

Danny felt a nervous pressure in her chest and it surprised her. "Uh, sure. "

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a leather strap. A small silver crescent moon charm dangled off the end. "Laura and I were talking about the famous Greek dudes and dudettes in class. I realized you're kinda like Artemis, with the arrows and the sports and stuff. The crescent moon is one of her symbols, so I when I saw this I got it for you."

Danny smiled despite herself. It was a pretty thoughtful gift, all things considered. 

"Thank you Kirsch. I got something for you too, rather, I found something I want to give you." Walking over to her back pack, she pulled out a small pocket knife. The wooden handle looked old but well cared for and she flicked it open with practiced grace. The blade had a slight curve to the tip, a knife useful for all sorts of cutting and whittling and whatever else. 

"My grandfather had hundreds of them. When he died, he left most of them to me because he knew I really loved his collection, even as a little girl. This one is one of my favorites because it's from a set." She pulled out another blade that had a similar handle. "I dunno, girl best friends always seem to get matching stuff like necklaces or whatever. I thought this could be more of a bro thing." 

Kirsch looked genuinely moved with the gift. "That is such a boss idea. Thank you." He stepped closer and took the knife from her gingerly. He hefted the weight in his hands and smiled, handing her the necklace. 

"Merry Bro-Mas." 

"Merry Bro-Mas to you too Kirsch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the wrap up and it's pure Hollstein goodness :)


	7. Mission: Accomplished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pure Christmas fluff. So much fluff, you might die from the stuff. 
> 
> The end.

The entirety of the morning and early afternoon was filled with Laura frantically packing her bags and trying to tidy her half of the room into some semblance of order. Carmilla was not looking forward to the girl's departure, so attempted to bury herself in a book as a distraction. Around dinner time, Laura stopped her whirling fervor and sat down on Carmilla's bed. 

"Let's go for a walk. I need to get out of here. And I'm hungry." She grabbed the book Carmilla had be staring at listlessly. "Please?"

"'Course buttercup." It didn't take much convincing to go anywhere Laura was going.

Laura wove her fingers through Carmilla's, loosely clasping her hand. After putting on their coats and fighting over who got which gloves and scarves, they strolled out of the dorm and into the little college town nearby.

*****

"I just thought it'd be nice to get one last look around before I leave for the holiday. I feel bad I didn't plan something more spectacular for the end of Operation: Yuletide." Laura said as they walked. 

Carmilla nodded mutely, the annoying pang in her chest worsening. They continued meandering along the sidewalk, the street lamps casting beams of light on the snow-covered cement. It was pretty and picturesque, the kind of sentimental moment Carmilla thought would be a fitting end to Laura's silly operation. 

Up the street was a small crowd of carolers, mostly older men and women, singing traditional Christmastime hymns. It was a mix of English and German songs, and Carmilla felt a stirring of longing rise up in her as she listened to an old Austrian classic. 

_Still, still, still, weil's Kindlein schlafen will. Die Englein tun schön jubilieren, bei dem Kripplein musizieren. Still, still, still, weil's Kindlein schlafen will._

Their voices weren't half bad, considering the motley crew of carolers. She started thinking of all of her Christmases since she turned, going from Austria to New York to Tokyo and beyond. She looked at Laura, snowflakes settling in her blonde hair and her cheeks flushed with cold. Laura was watching the carolers with rapt attention, singing lightly under her breath. This Christmas was by far the best of Carmilla's long life.

Laura turned towards her girlfriend and smiled. "You're staring at me. What are you thinking?"

Carmilla paused briefly before answering. "This has been a surprisingly nice Christmas. But now I'm all bummed because you're leaving. It's all your fault." She smirked. "I think I liked it better when I wasn't all sentimental and crap. You're softening my edge Hollis." 

Laura giggled. "I think you've been a big softie all the time, but now you just show it."

"That's me, I eat people for an undead living, but I'm really just a fuzzy teddy bear." Carmilla pulled Laura closer and wrapped her arm around the girl. 

They stood under the street light like that for a while, listening to the carolers continue through their songs. Laura snuggled into Carmilla's side and closed her eyes. Finally she spoke, "Are you really going to miss me?"

"Uh, duh Cupcake. Aside from my brief foray into a body filled pit for about five days, I've seen you literally every day since I got back to Silas. I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too Carm." Laura placed a light kiss on her cheek. "Come on, let's head back."

They walked back to the dorm in a comfortable silence. As they reached their room, Laura rushed forward and opened the door. Inside, the room was twinkling with candle light and there was a small table set with flowers, a wrapped gift and a plate of Perry's gingerbread cookies. Laura's computer speakers were playing some soft jazz in the background. Carmilla was too surprised to react - she wasn't used to romantic gestures. At least, not meaningful ones. 

Laura misinterpreted her silence though, panicked, and began to apologize. "Carm, I'm sorry! I guess this was a dumb idea. I just wanted to do something nice for you, a proper end to Yuletide or whatever. Perry offered to help so I said sure and gosh, sorry, this was so dumb, and cheesy. God, I'm so cheesy."

Carmilla reached out and grabbed Laura's hand. She brought it up to her mouth and placed a feather light kiss on the palm. "I... I love it."

Laura sighed with visible relief. "Oh, good." She kissed Carmilla's cheek. "Now come on, let's open your present!" 

Hauling the brunette across the room, Laura seized the wrapped package and thrust it in Carmilla's hands. "Open it, open it, open it!"

Carmilla fished in her back pocket with her other hand. "I'm sorry I didn't wrap it, but I have something for you too. Take yours first." 

She pulled out a small velvet draw string bag and placed it in Laura's hands. "This is one of the very few things I have from my life before I turned. I've carried it with me all this time, but now I want you to have it."

A small tear trickled down Laura's cheek as she looked at the bag. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small sardonyx cameo, set in a beautiful silver frame and resting on a delicate link chain. "Oh Carm, it's lovely. Can you help me put it on?"

Setting her gift back down, Carmilla reached up to clasp the necklace behind Laura's neck. Turning back around, Laura gave Carmilla a chaste kiss. She handed the present back to her with a smile. "Now you."

Picking carefully at the paper, Carmilla unwrapped the present slowly. It had been a very long time since she had a Christmas gift to open and she decided to savor it. Lifting off the box lid, inside was only a plain white envelope. She took the envelope out and pulled out two slips of paper. The first one read: _Railway Passenger Ticket. Carmilla Karnstein. December 23rd, 2014. 13:00. Silas, STY to Prague, CZ._

Carmilla just stood there, staring at the train tickets in her hands. Laura began to fidget, "I, uh, thought you'd get lonely here, so I asked my Dad if you could come with us to Prague for Christmas. We spend every Christmas there. He said yes. You don't have to co-oof."

Carmilla flung her arms around Laura, clinging to the tickets and burying her head in the blonde's neck. 

"I love you." She murmured against her girlfriend's skin. Laura's eyes widened in surprise at the admission. They always spoken very tenderly to one another, but Carmilla had never used the L-word. Carmilla began covering Laura's neck in soft kisses. Between each kiss, she spoke. "You're such a dork. And you're too damn sweet. All romantic and shit, you bleeding heart." 

Laura laughed, "Guilty as charged. Merry Christmas Carm."

"Merry Christmas Laura."


End file.
